No typical face of homelessness in Kitsap County

Reba Harris kicked a drug and alcohol problem and things were looking up. But she and her children fled the home she shared with an abusive partner. She ended up homeless and spent some time in Sally's camp, finally putting her life together with the help of a number of social service agencies, and she now has her own home. (LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN)

Homelessness is not a single problem but many, according to social service providers in Kitsap County.

According to those who've been there, homelessness can happen to anyone.

"I never thought I would join 'the ranks of the great unwashed' as I used to call them," said Donna Wells, currently living in Grapeview.

Wells had it all, a "dream" job, a partner of 12 years, a home in the Kitsap Lake neighborhood where she was raised. When she got cancer, she felt confident she'd beat it. She had insurance and long-term disability coverage. No worries.

But during a recurrence of the cancer, her employer eliminated her job and her partner left her. Medical costs and other life challenges left Wells in a free fall. Now recovering from her illness and with a place to stay, Wells has great sympathy for those who, through no fault of their own, end up on the streets.

Reba Harris of Port Orchard admits she had addictions that were predisposing factors for homelessness. But with the help of drug and alcohol counseling, she had kicked her habits and was on the straight and narrow. Harris was employed and attending school to become a substance abuse counselor when she became homeless in March.

Harris' partner had become abusive, and she feared for her children. She gathered her kids, walked out the door and never looked back. Were it not for Sally's Camp, a homeless shelter in Bremerton, her family would have had no place to go.

Today, living in transitional housing, Harris is grateful for the safety net that helped her get the basic necessities of daily life and case management that helped her move beyond just surviving, to thriving.

"It just was an awesome experience," Harris said. "Everyone was phenomenal. It was like they treated me as a person."

Then there are those who seem beyond help.

Pastor Art Speight of Taking it to the Streets ministry tells of the unseen homeless, predominantly veterans, living deep in the woods, typically suffering from PTSD and severe alcoholism.

"You can only see them if they want to be seen," said Speight, explaining their extreme paranoia.

One of his volunteers, Maryann Smith, has their trust. Her nickname is "mother of the homeless." Smith and others try to catch them between binges. The volunteers bring food and camping equipment. Sleeping bags so easily get soaked, ruined.

"It's almost like a war zone," Speight said. "It's a whole new world out there that you can't even imagine if you live in a warm home."

According to Speight, these men are unlikely ever to accept care in a conventional setting. But, he says, they should not be ignored or discounted.

"It's my calling to help those that are less fortunate," Speight said. "To me it's anybody that's sleeping out in the elements, especially children. Either you commit to something and you stick with it, or you throw your hands up."